GIS Intern

Posted Sept 24, 2018

LiDAR status map: Click thumbnail map for larger version in new window.

Missouri LiDAR Data

The Missouri Map

MSDIS has designed and maintained several different applications for downloading imagery,
elevation,
and LiDAR data.
For convenience, we have also developed The Missouri Map,
a central application that collects all of our existing download tools into a single interactive mapping interface.

An increasing number of LiDAR data products have been made available to the
public by various federal, state and local government entities. Hosting is kindly provided in partnership with our state clearinghouse partnership node at Washington University, St. Louis.

Background
The Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS) is the State of Missouri’s designated National Spatial Data Inventory (NSDI) clearinghouse node. In order to better serve Missouri’s geospatial data users, MSDIS is encouraging node partnerships with other interested distributers of geospatial data in the state. These associations will expand existing partnerships and encourage future collaborations with these partners. MSDIS is also looking to encourage other state academic institutions to partner to expand and leverage MSDIS’s relational network for further research, service and educational opportunities. Through these efforts MSDIS hopes to build stronger affiliations and further relationships with many groups and entities wherein we can achieve more regionalized data inventory, integration, and warehousing for Missouri. This will also help to achieve further continuity of operations for the MSDIS.

In discussions dating to early 2008, Washington University in St. Louis, expressed an interest in working with MSDIS to further the geospatial goals of Missouri. MSDIS has identified an opportunity in the form of a significant increase in LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging) data being collected in the state. Almost 20% of the state has been collected – representing a total repository of approximately 1TB of data – with rapid growth in these acquisitions occurring in the near future.

LiDAR data products such as derived Digital Elevation Models are in increasing demand across Missouri. Washington University has performed a similar role in their support of NASA projects and associated terrain and image data warehousing. Washington University has the requisite personnel, expertise, data storage space, and server technologies to serve this data to the geospatial community. Under the auspices of MSDIS – and as its first State Clearinghouse Partnership Node, Washington University will act as a central repository for all of the State’s LiDAR raw and derived data products. They will serve the data as received – and provide associated links for inclusion within the MSDIS clearinghouse.

The process to be followed includes:
MSDIS will act as the focal point with LiDAR data products going first to MSDIS for cataloging (review and eventual posting to Geospatial One Stop {GOS}) and then either being mailed or hand delivered to Washington University designated GIS staff.

Washington University GIS staff will log the data products received – copy the data into web accessible storage – create links to the data sets and their associated metadata elements – and provide those links via email to MSDIS to provide discoverability and access via MSDIS as the Missouri geospatial data clearinghouse and other clearinghouse portals such as GOS and the National Elevation Dataset (NED) etc..

MSDIS will test the data and metadata links provided. Once verified, MSDIS will publish the data’s availability through the MSDIS News list server and MSDIS RSS feeds.

MSDIS will acknowledge Washington University’s Partnership Node on the MSDIS home page LiDAR page and other web pages as relevant. MSDIS will also acknowledge the Washington University Partnership Node in its outreach activities whose focus is the state clearinghouse and serving public domain data.

Through this agreement, Washington University will become the first MSDIS Partnership Node. It is the goal of MSDIS to promote further partnerships where it can be of benefit to the State of Missouri and its citizens. As we continue to grow, there may be others who can, through partnership, enhance access to data and geospatial services in Missouri.